SPRINGFIELD —The Thurston Colts football team entered Silke Field on Friday night looking to extend their nine-game winning streak against the crosstown rival Springfield Millers. After a back-and-forth first half, the Colts were able to do just that, winning 38-7 and extending their winning streak to double digits.
While the boisterous crowd Friday night would suggest a hostile dynamic between the schools, Thurston coach Justin Starck sees it as more of a familial rivalry.
“This always means a lot, it’s the crosstown rivalry,” Starck said. “We have a lot of respect for the folks at Springfield, for coach (Frank) Geske and their players. We see them all the time so it’s like playing a family member, you know? You just give a little bit more when you know the person better.”
The Thurston and Springfield showdown lit up Silke Field as the cross-town rivalry took center stage under the Friday night lights. ALL PHOTOS BY ADON ECCLES/ THE CHRONICLE
Thurston’s defense came out hot on Friday night, forcing a punt from Springfield on its first series. Then the Colts, from their own 18-yard line, struck quickly when senior quarterback Emmit Distefano found junior receiver Bodie Bonar on a pass to the flat, which Bonar took 82 yards for a touchdown.
Despite the rough start for Springfield, the Millers recovered on their next drive.
The quarterback-receiver duo of Matias Gutierrez and Jackson Rich led the way. Gutierrez found Rich on a third-and-12 play early in Springfield’s drive for 23 yards. They connected again on fourth-and-2 from the 23-yard line for a Millers touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
The Millers proceeded to stop Thurston on the Colts’ next two drives, forcing a turnover-on-downs on each of those possessions. Thurston’s defense turned up the dial a notch as well, holding Springfield to only one first down during that time.
Thurston then got the ball back with 8:52 remaining in the first half at their own 11-yard line. The Colts drove to the Millers’ 5-yard line. The drive stalled after consecutive false-start penalties and the Colts settled for a field goal, taking a 10-7 lead with 4:07 in the half.
The Millers saw a competitive first quarter againist their rivals. ALL PHOTOS BY ADON ECCLES / THE CHRONICLE.
Springfield used 1:14 of clock on their following drive before punting to Thurston with a little under three minutes in the half. From there it took only five plays before Distefano found sophomore receiver Bentlee Davenport for a 40-yard touchdown to go up 17-7 at halftime.
Thurston removed any hope of a Springfield rally in the second half, scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter. The scores came courtesy of Logan Raube and Cruz Gray each rushing into the endzone from the 4-yard line, as well as a 26-yard interception return from Davenport.
The Colts had to “settle in” a little bit in the first half, but were rolling offensively by the second. ALL PHOTOS BY ADON ECCLES / THE CHRONICLE
“We just took advantage of opportunities. Kids making plays. Limiting penalties. We had some things called back, and shot ourselves in the foot a little bit, but once we settled in, kids really made some plays,” Starck said. “The first one by Bodie Bonar was pretty spectacular. Then we really hit the run game heavy in the third quarter.”
This marks the Colts’ 10th straight victory over Springfield as they climb to 6-1 on the season. Looking ahead, Thurston heads home on Friday, Oct. 10 to face 4-1 Crater. The 1-4 Millers look to get back on track against the winless South Eugene Axe on Friday.
